


The Flamingo

by Ebhenah



Series: Games of Shance Stories [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Shance, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gambling, M/M, Prompts- music and mafia, aged-up paladins, non-paladin Shiro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-11-09 05:26:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17995736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ebhenah/pseuds/Ebhenah
Summary: Written for Team Shiro for week 1 of the March 2019 game on the Games of Shance discord server. Prompts: Music and MafiaAfter years of work, the team surprises Shiro with a special treat for a special day.





	The Flamingo

**Author's Note:**

> Canon-divergent as of the end of S6. They found another way to seal up the tears in reality, because I want to ignore everything that happened after that. A still-sane Lotor is still the head of the Galra threat and they are still battling things out far, far from Earth. 6 years have past since Shiro was rescued from the Black Lion. Keith is the Black Paladin, and Shiro is splitting his time between helping Coran, Krolia and Romelle helm the Bridge and doing diplomatic work with Allura as a Spokesperson for the Voltron Coalition. Pidge is 21, Hunk and Lance are 24, Keith is 27-due to his extra 2 years on the Space Whale, and Shiro is 32

Thankful for his years in the church choir as a kid, Lance held the note until the computer generated band finished with a flourish and then dipped into a deep bow. “Time for me to take a little break folks! Let’s hear it for the band!” The holographic customers broke into enthusiastic applause and he grinned. He’d always done well in the spotlight, even when the cheering crowd was mostly products of Pidge’s talented coding and Matt’s character designs. 

Mostly.

Not completely.

As he left the stage he stopped by the ‘bar’ and collected a drink from Coran. He had about 15 minutes if he wanted to stick to the script- which he did- but fifteen minutes was plenty of time to hydrate and check in with the others. 

“You sounded great,” Krolia said cheerfully, “and to think you were nervous.”

“I was nervous about singing for an entire night,” he pointed out, “it’s only been an hour… and I still expect you to join me up there. I can’t carry ‘Something Stupid’ on my own- it’s a duet.”

She narrowed her eyes at him but sighed, relenting. “Yes, fine… but ONLY because of who all this is for.”

“He’ll be thrilled,” he promised, grinning. “It’ll soooo be worth it!”

She collected her drink and slipped off the bar stool, her silver satin dress catching the light as she moved. “I’m going to find a game,” she said, “I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed poker.”

Lance gave her a little wave and turned toward the blackjack table, where Allura was dealing cards to Hunk, Pidge and Shiro. They all looked great. Everyone was dolled up in clothes that Pidge and Matt had scoured world’s to find. Suits and dresses that fit with the complex holographic recreation of Shiro’s favorite of the limited selection of movies they had available to them on Pidge’s laptop. 

“The Flamingo” was a period piece about a mobster in Las Vegas back in the twentieth century. It had taken almost three years to create this night. It was an elaborate surprise for Shiro. The whole thing had started from an offhand comment by Keith about the AI of King Alfor that used to be accessible in this room. That had led to other conversations, and once Shiro and Lance had started getting serious, he’d come up with the earliest version of the plan that had ultimately led them here. Shiro’s enjoyment of Monsters and Mana had reassured them that recreating the gaming room from that movie, with each of them taking on various roles (with some liberties) and Shiro being treated as the mob-boss who ran the entire city from the glitzy hotel would be a stellar surprise for the former paladin- now the public face of the Voltron Coalition. It was strange- in a way, it was a slice of home… just a version of Earth that was almost as alien to them as any of the many planets they called Allies in their fight against Lotor and the Galra. 

“Hey there handsome,” he purred, draping himself over Shiro’s broad back, “how’s business?”

Shiro reached across his own chest to tangle the cool metal fingers of his prosthetic hand with Lance’s and turned his head to kiss his cheek sweetly, “with a pretty little songbird like you in the joint? The graft is piling up nicely.”

“Yeah? Well it’s nice to know I ain’t an empty suit,” he answered with a soft laugh.

“We playing, or flirting?” Pidge snarked light-heartedly, winking at Romelle, who was dealing poker at the next table, “because if we’re flirting, there’s a sweet little parakeet at the next table I’d much rather be lookin’at than your mugs.” 

“We’re playing,” Hunk said firmly, “double down.” 

He had an ace showing and Allura dealt him a four, “fifteen or five.”

“Hit me,” he said, flashing her a tender smile that made her blush. This time she dealt him a two. He tapped the table, and she dealt again- a Queen.

“Seventeen,” she said clearly, “dealer is showing a ten.”

“I’m going to stick,” Hunk said after a moment. Lance would have taken another hit- hoping for a five card Charlie, but he’d always been more adventurous than Hunk. 

Allura flipped her hole card- a six. She paid out the winnings, and Shiro held up his other hand, a $100 chip tucked between his index and middle fingers, “consider it a tip.”

“Awwww, thanks, babe,” he giggled, playing up his role. “I’ve got a special song, just for you. Sit tight.” 

He gave Shiro a bright smile and stood, returning to the stage early. A nod to Coran let the others know that it was time for the second surprise of the night. The band started up on Lance’s cue and Coran grabbed the tray. 

“Happy Birthday to you,” Lance sang, and Coran began walking toward Allura’s Blackjack table, the candles on the cake he was carrying flickering warmly. Everyone joined on the second line, but let him handle the line with the name. “Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday Takashi! Happy birthday to you!”

“Blow out the candles, Shiro,” called out Keith as everyone clapped and cheered.

He finally took a good look at the cake and laughed, blowing out the candles with ease before commenting. “Eight?? REALLY guys!?!?”

“We are NEVER getting sick of that joke,” Lance laughed, “so get used to it.”

“Would you RATHER we teased you about being in your mid-thirties?” Pidge asked.

“MID!?!?! I’m thirty-TWO!” Shiro protested, “that’s EARLY! EARLY thirties.”

“Pretty sure she’s right,” Matt observed mildly, slipping his arm around Keith’s waist with a soft laugh.

“Thirty-two is not ‘mid-thirties’!” He insisted through laughter, “back me up here, honey!”

“Awww… you know I can’t deny you anything when you use pet names,” Lance answered, opting to hop down off the stage rather than use the stairs. He returned to the table and perched himself on his boyfriend’s lap, “besides, it is a moot point- because you are eight. This is your eighth birthday. It’s not my fault you were born on a leap year. Did you make a wish?”

“Same one I always do,” he answered, cuddling Lance close.

“Well, don’t tell- don’t wanna jinx it.” Not that he needed to hear it to know what it was. It was the same wish they all made- that it wouldn’t be much longer before they all made it home safe and sound and together, with the war behind them. But until that day came- they were going to celebrate every time they got the chance. 

Sometimes with cake.


End file.
